Laurea and EU Experts Present Cybersecurity Skills Demand in the Health Sector as part of CyberSecPro Digital Europe Innovation Project

Cybersecurity experts from Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Finland and the EU partner presented their collaborative work, titled "CyberSecPro digital Europe innovation project: cybersecurity skills demand in the health sector," at the 28th eHealth 2023 Conference held this fall.

Organized by the Finnish Telemedicine and e-Health Society in collaboration with Laurea, the eHealth 2023 Conference centered on the overarching theme of "Human-oriented approach in eHealth and digital services."

In their presentation, Jyri Rajamäki, Principal Lecturer and scientist at Laurea USA, Finland, and Paresh Rathod, Thematic Leader of Cybersecurity RDI at Laurea UAS, delved into the findings of their research on the demand for cybersecurity skills in the health sector working with EU expert Dr. Kitty Kioskli. They revealed a growing demand for cybersecurity professionals in the healthcare industry as healthcare organizations become increasingly reliant on digital technologies. Paresh Rathod also chaired the session on data security and privacy in the health sector, where Dr. Rajamäki presented a cyber resilience model for critical sectors.

The researchers also identified several challenges faced by healthcare organizations in addressing this demand. These challenges include a lack of awareness of cybersecurity risks, a shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals, and limited budgets for cybersecurity training.

Rajamäki and Rathod concluded their presentation by outlining recommendations for healthcare organizations to address these challenges. These recommendations include fostering a cybersecurity culture within the organization, investing in cybersecurity training for staff, and collaborating with cybersecurity partners to develop and implement security solutions.

The CyberSecPro digital Europe innovation project, a three-year endeavor, aims to develop and implement a new cybersecurity curriculum for the health sector. The project receives funding from the European Union's Digital Europe program.

The CyberSecPro project's work on cybersecurity skills demand in the health sector represents a significant contribution to the project's development. Healthcare organizations will benefit from the project's findings by gaining a better understanding of their cybersecurity needs and developing strategies to address them.

Read more about CyberSecPro project activities